Help Identifying Hell Creek Bones

[DinoFossilsUK]

I've just cleaned up a big batch of Hell Creek bones and I'm struggling to ID a few of them.  I have some ideas as to a few, but others I'm clueless (and I'm sure some won't be able to be ID'd beyond indeterminate dino/reptile bone).

 

These four are all pretty big.  The largest, second from the right, is just over 6.5 inches.  I've attached a picture of that one before I repaired it as it has very thick walls.  That bone and second from the left are very heavy for their size, so I'm assuming they're theropod (probably leg bones).  I haven't a clue with the other two, but they're an odd shape.

[DinoFossilsUK]

This one is a partial vertebra.  It's very heavy and dense, it measures around 4.38 inches.  I was thinking this may be a partial Tyrannosaur vertebra, but I'd love some input.

[DinoFossilsUK]

This one, well I'm not sure if it's a Pachy or Thescelosaurus vert (or if it's even possible to say).  I can't find much on Pachy anatomy and I don't think many bones have been found.

[DinoFossilsUK]

And then finally I have these weird little bones.  I thought the middle one was a turtle bone at first, but I'm not so sure now.  The longest piece is 5.75 inches and is hollow inside.  Thanks in advance for any help!

[DinoFossilsUK]

Oh, and I was excited to find these.  I'm sure they're bird bones as the walls are very thin, but if anyone could confirm that'd be awesome!

[Troodon]

Can you take a side view of the vertebra.  That Y shaped bone I believe is indeed turtle a pectoral girdle as well as the bone to its left.  That big bone 3 from left on you first set of photos could be an ulna from Edmontosaurus.  Is the bone to its left hollow but nothing jumps out that says theropod in that group.

[DinoFossilsUK]

12 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Can you take a side view of the vertebra.  That Y shaped bone I believe is indeed turtle a pectoral girdle as well as the bone to its left.  That big bone 3 from left on you first set of photos could be an ulna from Edmontosaurus.  Is the bone to its left hollow but nothing jumps out that says theropod in that group.

Thanks Troodon.  Here's a few more photos of that vert.  Well, at least I was on to something with the turtle bones!  No, the bone second from the left in the first picture isn't hollow, it just has thick outer walls, so I'm guessing it's an unidentifiable dino bone.

[Troodon]

The diagnostic elements on that Vert its spines are missing.  Could be either Pachy or Thesc.  but get a more Thesc feel if you compare yours to these images.  Checkout  the wrinkles on the Thesc verts especially the ones on the left

Thescelosaurus 

 

Pachy "Sandy"

 

That bone second in from left that is not hollow may be a chevron, to round for Hadro might be Ceratopsian  

 

[Troodon]

I also don't believe the big vert is a Tyrannosaurid they typically have a honeycomb bone structure which I dont see.  More typical of Hadro or Ceratopsian 

[DinoFossilsUK]

Thanks again Troodon.  Yes, I spotted the wrinkles on the vert and have seen it on Thesc verts before, but I wasn't sure if Pachy had those too (the person who collected it thought it may have been Pachy).  But you're right, it looks like a Thesc vert and odds are it is.

 

Now that you say it that bone does compare well to Ceratopsian chevrons, and the thicker bone does look like a hadrosaur ulna.  I don't get lots of bones like these to repair very often so the weight and hole running through the center got me a little overexcited.

 

And yes, I've seen the honeycomb like structure in Tyrannosaur verts before - I don't know why I thought the fact it's heavy would mean it's more likely to be a Tyrannosaur vertebra! Just got overexcited again. Given it's size and structure of the bone I guess it can only be Edmontosaurus or ceratopsian.

[LordTrilobite]

1 hour ago, DinoFossilsUK said:

I've just cleaned up a big batch of Hell Creek bones and I'm struggling to ID a few of them.  I have some ideas as to a few, but others I'm clueless (and I'm sure some won't be able to be ID'd beyond indeterminate dino/reptile bone).

 

These four are all pretty big.  The largest, second from the right, is just over 6.5 inches.  I've attached a picture of that one before I repaired it as it has very thick walls.  That bone and second from the left are very heavy for their size, so I'm assuming they're theropod (probably leg bones).  I haven't a clue with the other two, but they're an odd shape.

The first one looks like it might be the head of a rib. The second one looks kinda symmetrical, maybe a chevron? Or maybe a fibula? Third one looks like some type of limb bone. Dunno about the last one.

[Darbi]

Your 'Y' turtle bone looks like a turtle scapula bone. I have one from Albian and it looks similar to yours.

 

[DinoFossilsUK]

6 hours ago, Darbi said:

Your 'Y' turtle bone looks like a turtle scapula bone. I have one from Albian and it looks similar to yours.

 

Thanks Darbi!

[JoeS]

On 5/27/2020 at 6:53 AM, DinoFossilsUK said:

Oh, and I was excited to find these.  I'm sure they're bird bones as the walls are very thin, but if anyone could confirm that'd be awesome!

Very exciting, could you confirm these are bird?

[Troodon]

Can we see the other broken ends of the other side.  I dont see the thin hollow wall of a bird bone.

[DinoFossilsUK]

47 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Can we see the other broken ends of the other side.  I dont see the thin hollow wall of a bird bone.

Here's some photos.  Sorry, I can't get the matrix out of the end of the first one as it has a bit of B-72 on it.  Was really hoping these two were bird as the walls are thin (but maybe not thin enough?).

[Coco]

@Auspex

 

Coco

[Troodon]

Here is a Hell Creek avian bone in my collection you can compare against.  The wall thickness is a hair under 1 mm and the inside wall is smooth.

[Troodon]

On that Y pectoral girdle bone you have here are the different elements 

[DinoFossilsUK]

Just checked and the walls are 1mm thick on mine, so similar to yours and the walls look completely smooth.  Would you expect to see smooth walls in a dromaeosaur bone?  I had a few other bones likes these but the walls were thicker (around 2mm) but still smooth inside; I assumed they were more likely to be dromaeosaur.

[hadrosauridae]

On 5/27/2020 at 5:50 AM, DinoFossilsUK said:

And then finally I have these weird little bones.  I thought the middle one was a turtle bone at first, but I'm not so sure now.  The longest piece is 5.75 inches and is hollow inside.  Thanks in advance for any help!

 

 

 

I'm far from expert, so that my suggest with a large grain of salt.  But, the bone on the right is reminding me of a central metatarsal.  I know I've seen the profile before but for the life of me I cant recall which species.  The central one gets sandwiched between the outside bones and it tapers down to a thin "point" on one end.

 

BTW- you've got some great HC fossils there!

[DinoFossilsUK]

17 hours ago, hadrosauridae said:

I'm far from expert, so that my suggest with a large grain of salt.  But, the bone on the right is reminding me of a central metatarsal.  I know I've seen the profile before but for the life of me I cant recall which species.  The central one gets sandwiched between the outside bones and it tapers down to a thin "point" on one end.

 

BTW- you've got some great HC fossils there!

Thank you Hadrosauridae, I'll get googling and see if it's a match for any Hell Creek dino metatarsals!  I thought I'd include a photo of that as it's got quite a unique shape.

[Troodon]

21 hours ago, DinoFossilsUK said:

Just checked and the walls are 1mm thick on mine, so similar to yours and the walls look completely smooth.  Would you expect to see smooth walls in a dromaeosaur bone?  I had a few other bones likes these but the walls were thicker (around 2mm) but still smooth inside; I assumed they were more likely to be dromaeosaur.

Yes theropod or bird bones would typically be hollow and smooth inside but there are exceptions.  Unfortunately a lot of the diagnostic features are at the ends which are missing with your bones.    There are lots of theropods/birds in the HC so don't assume your  bones belong to a Dromaeosaurid. 

[hadrosauridae]

3 hours ago, DinoFossilsUK said:

Thank you Hadrosauridae, I'll get googling and see if it's a match for any Hell Creek dino metatarsals!  I thought I'd include a photo of that as it's got quite a unique shape.

This is pic is not from a HC species, but its an ornithomimid and there are varieties in the HC (Possilby Struthiomimus?).  This lets you visualize that 3rd "sandwiched" metatarsal.  The large part has a roughly triangular profile.  I think I have a broken piece of the same but its not nearly as nice as yours.

 

[Troodon]

I think you first need to determine if its a Theropod bone.  Do you have photos of both ends